Longtime friend and editor of Bookworm, Alan Howard, returns to host this episode, the last of 10 shows to journey through Bookworm’s 33 years and offer a retrospective look at Michael’s accomplishments on behalf of writers and readers. For decades Michael has read almost all of a writer’s work, not just the book which has been most recently published. Howard has watched writers glow as they realize that they’ve been seriously witnessed by the ultimate Bookworm. All of the writers on today’s show have become friends of Michael’s and of Bookworm. We’ll hear from rock band Sparks (brothers Ron and Russell Mael), Art Spiegelman, Françoise Mouly, Ann Beattie, Susan Sontag, and Dennis Cooper.

Longtime friend and editor of Bookworm, Alan Howard, returns to host this episode, the last of 10 shows to journey through Bookworm’s 33 years and offer a retrospective look at Michael’s accomplishments on behalf of writers and readers. For decades Michael has read almost all of a writer’s work, not just the book which has been most recently published. Howard has watched writers glow as they realize that they’ve been seriously witnessed by the ultimate Bookworm. All of the writers on today’s show have become friends of Michael’s and of Bookworm. We’ll hear from rock band Sparks (brothers Ron and Russell Mael), Art Spiegelman, Françoise Mouly, Ann Beattie, Susan Sontag, and Dennis Cooper.

Longtime friend and editor of Bookworm, Alan Howard, returns to host this episode, the last of 10 shows to journey through Bookworm’s 33 years and offer a retrospective look at Michael’s accomplishments on behalf of writers and readers. For decades Michael has read almost all of a writer’s work, not just the book which has been most recently published. Howard has watched writers glow as they realize that they’ve been seriously witnessed by the ultimate Bookworm. All of the&nbsp;writers on today’s show have become friends of Michael’s and of Bookworm. We’ll hear from rock band Sparks (brothers Ron and Russell Mael), Art Spiegelman, Françoise Mouly, Ann Beattie, Susan Sontag, and Dennis Cooper.

Friends of Michael

Acclaimed novelist, poet, and essayist <a href="https://www.taolin.us">Tao Lin</a> (“Taipei,” “Shoplifting from American Apparel”) speaks about growing as a writer, and growing his idea of himself in a book, including his latest, “<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/547887/leave-society-by-tao-lin/">Leave Society</a>,” about the blurred lines between life and fiction.

Acclaimed novelist, poet, and essayist Tao Lin (“Taipei,” “Shoplifting from American Apparel”) speaks about growing as a writer, and growing his idea of himself in a book, including his latest, “Leave Society,” about the blurred lines between life and fiction.

Acclaimed novelist, poet, and essayist <a href="https://www.taolin.us" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tao Lin</a> (“Taipei,” “Shoplifting from American Apparel”) speaks about growing as a writer, and growing his idea of himself in a book, including his latest, “<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/547887/leave-society-by-tao-lin/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Leave Society</a>,” about the blurred lines between life and fiction.&nbsp;

Tao Lin’s ‘Leave Society’ shifts the author’s perspective to love and kindness

Author Zac Smith speaks about the extreme juxtaposition of the very short, dense, and clipped stories in his new book, “Everything is Totally Fine.” He says that by removing a lot of exposition, he was able to create intense emotions in a small space. His energetic and thoughtful stories of absurdity and minutiae are things that could not be said any other way, and usually don’t get said. Plus, special guest Tao Lin explains why “Everything is Totally Fine” inspired him to reopen his <a href="http://muumuuhouse.com/about.html">Muumuu House</a> imprint after it was closed for more than ten years.

Author Zac Smith speaks about the extreme juxtaposition of the very short, dense, and clipped stories in his new book, “Everything is Totally Fine.” He says that by removing a lot of exposition, he was able to create intense emotions in a small space. His energetic and thoughtful stories of absurdity and minutiae are things that could not be said any other way, and usually don’t get said. Plus, special guest Tao Lin explains why “Everything is Totally Fine” inspired him to reopen his Muumuu House imprint after it was closed for more than ten years.

Author Zac Smith speaks about the extreme juxtaposition of the very short, dense, and clipped stories in his new book, “Everything is Totally Fine.” He says that by removing a lot of exposition, he was able to create intense emotions in a small space. His energetic and thoughtful stories of absurdity and minutiae are things that could not be said any other way, and usually don’t get said. Plus, special guest Tao Lin explains why “Everything is Totally Fine” inspired him to reopen his <a href="http://muumuuhouse.com/about.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">Muumuu House</a> imprint after it was closed for more than ten years.

Zac Smith’s ‘Everything is Totally Fine,’ the book that reopened Tao Lin’s Muumuu House

The Ministry of Special Cases (Knopf) Nathan Englander uses desapareacidos
to stand for all kinds of disappearance. Here, we focus on yet another:
his own.

The Ministry of Special Cases (Knopf)Nathan Englander uses desapareacidos to stand for all kinds of disappearance. Here, we focus on yet another: his own.

The Ministry of Special Cases (Knopf) Nathan Englander uses desapareacidos
to stand for all kinds of disappearance. Here, we focus on yet another:
his own.

Nathan Englander

The Perfect Man (Random House) Naeem Murr's work has been described as perverse—but he insists that
this perversity seems ordinary to him.

The Perfect Man (Random House) Naeem Murr's work has been described as perverse—but he insists that this perversity seems ordinary to him.

The Perfect Man (Random House) Naeem Murr's work has been described as perverse—but he insists that
this perversity seems ordinary to him.

Naeem Murr

Michael Ondaatje's novels come together through obsession and intuition. He works in the dark, not knowing where he is
heading, juxtaposing disparate materials, noticing echoes and
recurrences.

Michael Ondaatje's novels come together through obsession and intuition. He works in the dark, not knowing where he is heading, juxtaposing disparate materials, noticing echoes and recurrences.

Michael Ondaatje: Divisadero

Their Dogs Came with Them (Atria) 
Helena Maria Viramontes has written about L.A.-based Latino culture before -- but who could have expected this epic work about a neighborhood that is divided by a
freeway, cut off and lost in Los Angeles. Viramontes explores the explosive insights that gave her the ability to grow as a novelist.

Their Dogs Came with Them (Atria) Helena Maria Viramontes has written about L.A.-based Latino culture before -- but who could have expected this epic work about a neighborhood that is divided by a freeway, cut off and lost in Los Angeles. Viramontes explores the explosive insights that gave her the ability to grow as a novelist.

Their Dogs Came with Them (Atria) 
Helena Maria Viramontes has written about L.A.-based Latino culture before -- but who could have expected this epic work about a neighborhood that is divided by a
freeway, cut off and lost in Los Angeles. Viramontes explores the explosive insights that gave her the ability to grow as a novelist.

Helena Maria Viramontes

The  Almost Moon (Little Brown) Alice Sebold (The Lovely Bones) gives a sneak preview of her new novel, coming out this fall...

The Almost Moon (Little Brown)Alice Sebold (The Lovely Bones) gives a sneak preview of her new novel, coming out this fall...

The&nbsp; Almost Moon (Little Brown) Alice Sebold (The Lovely Bones) gives a sneak preview of her new novel, coming out this fall...

Alice Sebold

A Man without a Country (7 Stories)The late Kurt Vonnegut has
been astonishing us sincethe 1960's.  Here, in the rebroadcast of a 2006 interview, he speaks as a socialist
disappointed by human behavior, our country and our times. He "wants to
go home. (This interview will be not be heard on KCRW as it will be pre-empted by our semi-annual subscription drive.)

A Man without a Country (7 Stories) The late Kurt Vonnegut has been astonishing us sincethe 1960's. Here, in the rebroadcast of a 2006 interview, he speaks as a socialist disappointed by human behavior, our country and our times. He "wants to go home. (This interview will be not be heard on KCRW as it will be pre-empted by our semi-annual subscription drive.)

A Man without a Country (7 Stories)The late Kurt Vonnegut has
been astonishing us sincethe 1960's.&nbsp; Here, in the rebroadcast of a 2006 interview, he speaks as a socialist
disappointed by human behavior, our country and our times. He "wants to
go home. (This interview will be not be heard on KCRW as it will be pre-empted by our semi-annual subscription drive.)

Kurt Vonnegut

The Unknown Terrorist (Grove) 
Richard Flanagan felt that his last novel, Gould's Book of Fish,
widely acclaimed a masterpiece, had burnt him out. Here, he discusses
the things he did to reenergize.

The Unknown Terrorist (Grove) Richard Flanagan felt that his last novel, Gould's Book of Fish, widely acclaimed a masterpiece, had burnt him out. Here, he discusses the things he did to reenergize.

The Unknown Terrorist (Grove) 
Richard Flanagan felt that his last novel, Gould's Book of Fish,
widely acclaimed a masterpiece, had burnt him out. Here, he discusses
the things he did to reenergize.

Richard Flanagan

The Pesthouse (Doubleday) 
Jim Crace
makes lies masquerade as truth in this post-apocalyptic tale of
toxified America.

The Pesthouse (Doubleday) Jim Crace makes lies masquerade as truth in this post-apocalyptic tale of toxified America.

The Pesthouse (Doubleday) 
Jim Crace
makes lies masquerade as truth in this post-apocalyptic tale of
toxified America.

Jim Crace

You Don't Love Me Yet (Doubleday) 
The pleasures of the lightweight and the free-spirited.

You Don't Love Me Yet (Doubleday) The pleasures of the lightweight and the free-spirited.

You Don't Love Me Yet (Doubleday) 
The pleasures of the lightweight and the free-spirited.

Jonathan Lethem

The Inheritance of Loss (Grove) 
Booker Prize-winner Kiran Desai says she prefers "messiness" to perfection--it's more human, and it fits her subject better.

The Inheritance of Loss (Grove) Booker Prize-winner Kiran Desai says she prefers "messiness" to perfection--it's more human, and it fits her subject better.

The Inheritance of Loss (Grove) 
Booker Prize-winner Kiran Desai says she prefers "messiness" to perfection--it's more human, and it fits her subject better.

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